SEATTLE - Kittens took over City Hall today, renamed "Kitty Hall" in a proclamation by Mayor Ed Murray, highlighting the Seattle Animal Shelter's foster care program and encouraging the public to consider cat adoption. The public was invited to Kitty Hall to play with and cuddle kittens in an enclosed tent, and encouraged to attend the shelter's cat adoptathon event this Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association, located at 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle.

Eager kitten cuddlers waited their turn to enter the tent, where there were four to seven kittens at any given time. Following the plaza event, the kittens made their way to the 7th floor at Kitty Hall, where Mayor Murray thanked the shelter volunteers for their efforts and got in some kitten cuddle time of his own. Councilmember Sally Clark joined in on the kitten playtime, with photos of the event available on the Mayor's blog.

The kittens that were on hand at Kitty Hall are all currently under the care of foster parents. The shelter currently has more than 200 cats and kittens available for adoption, both at the shelter and in foster homes. Anyone interested in adopting a cat or meeting available cats is encouraged to attend the Fabulous Felines event on Saturday.

"With our monthly neighborhood adoptathons, we hope to continue to spread the word about the joys and value of adopting shelter pets and saving lives. If you have room in your home and your heart for an orphaned animal, this is a great opportunity to come and see some of the wonderful pets available from our foster-care parents," said Don Jordan, Seattle Animal Shelter director.

The Seattle Animal Shelter relies on volunteers to provide temporary foster care in their homes to rehabilitate and nurture sick, injured and immature cats and kittens or to just give adoptable cats a break from the shelter environment. Visit the shelter's website at www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/volunteer/foster-care for more information about the foster care program.

The Seattle Animal Shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. for adoptions and licensing. The phone number is 206-386-7387 (PETS). Animals available for adoption can be viewed online at www.seattleanimalshelter.org.